Walmart to make return to Roblox with virtual world, TechCrunch reports

Walmart (WMT) is coming back to Roblox (RBLX) with a virtual world where users can discover new digital items and accessories, but will not be able to browse or shop for items from the retailer, TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez reports, citing Walmart. The move comes a year after the company launched wto Walmart-branded experiences on Roblox, but faced criticism from consumer advocacy groups for potential stealth marketing to kids. “The intent of our presence on Roblox is to continuously innovate,” a Walmart spokesperson, Lea Ciskowski said. “Taking down some experiences to work on new ones is part of that innovation. Since first launching on Roblox last September, we’ve created several fun and unique experiences. We saw success from Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play, and both experiences were retired after their planned runs came to an end. Our learnings from both experiences allowed us to create an offering that was even more endemic to the platform with Walmart Discovered.”